One Pot Chilli Beef and Rice Enchilada..

This little recipe turned up in a recent Good Housekeeping magazine – My Mum bought me a subscription for my 30th birthday, and I’ve been a subscriber ever since.  That’s a helluva lot of Christmas editions, I can tell you! Sometimes there are good recipes, sometimes not. This one, I think works quite well – we made it this evening for dinner, and it’s like a Chilli con Carne, but with slightly different flavours. And it’s made all in one pot – always a bonus, especially on a school night!

I was thinking it would be a great dish for a Halloween party, especially if you were outdoors – it’s all comfort and warmth See how you get on..

Thanks to my cousin Christine who tried this at home, and made some helpful suggestions!

EQUIPMENT:

• A large deep frying pan, with a lid
• a measuring jug
• a wooden spoon
• a sieve

INGREDIENTS:   Feeds 6 generously..                                                                                      

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 500g of good quality minced beef
• 1 green pepper, cut into matchstick shapes
• half or quarter of a teaspoon of Cayenne Powder (it’s spicy, so take care!)
• 1 heaped teaspoon of ground coriander
• 2 heaped teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 large teaspoonful of Sundried Tomato paste OR a tablespoon of Chipotle sauce
• 125g of long grain or Basmati rice, well washed.
• 300mls hot Beef stock
• 175g fresh sweetcorn kernels, if you can get it – or a tin of sweetcorn kernels – see NOTES at the end of the recipe.
• 1 tin of black beans, or red kidney beans, drained and washed.
• 75g grated cheese
• tablespoon of oil
• Big handful of fresh coriander

METHOD:

• Measure the rice into the sieve and  wash it well over a bowl with cold running water for a few minutes, then leave it in the water as you continue with the rest of the recipe. Give it one more good rinse just before you add it to the rest of the ingredients.
•  Heat the oil and fry the onions on a fairly high heat, until soft and slightly browned (about 5 minutes)
• Add the minced beef, break it up with the wooden spoon, and move it around the pan until it’s all well browned.
• Add the green pepper and the spices, and cook for about a minute.

• Add the rice, tomatoes, Sundried tomato paste/Chipotle sauce, beans and sweetcorn (If you’re using tinned or frozen sweetcorn, just add it towards the very end of cooking – see NOTES).
• Pour over the stock and mix well together.

• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, put the lid on, and give it 20 minutes, checking every so often to make sure nothing’s sticking to the bottom the pan.

• When the rice is cooked (taste it and see) and most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove the pan from the heat and take off the lid.
• If you’re using tinned or frozen sweetcorn, fold it in now.
• Fold in the fresh coriander (naturally I didn’t have any today 😉 )
• Heat the grill to its highest setting, sprinkle the cheese over, then grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

• Serve in bowls with some garlic bread or a simple green salad https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/my-easy-green-salad/
  

NOTES:

• Sweetcorn kernels – I had a fresh, uncooked corn on the cob today, so I simply stood it in a bowl, and sliced off the kernels – they added a lovely texture to this dish – If you’re using tinned or frozen, I’d suggest just adding them just a few minutes before the end of the cooking time.

• Washing the rice removes a lot of the starch – it’s well worth doing.
• I didn’t have Chipotle sauce, but I’m going to get some because it will add a sort of smoky flavour which I think will be lovely.
• Of course you could make this a vegetarian option by replacing the beef with Quorn, and using vegetable stock instead of beef.
• There’s a picture of a portion below and truthfully, as my friend Mary’s lovely Mother used to say ‘ it’s no oil painting’.    However, we all know that looks don’t really count for much; especially if you’ve been out, freezing to death, minding the kids as they go from house to house on Halloween night, or for those cold dark winter nights after Christmas as well – a bowl of this will set you up nicely!